Mustard variety · Released variety
Pusa Bold
Also known as PB-1
New Delhi (IARI) · Indian Agricultural Research Institute · 1984
Landmark low-erucic-acid variety important for quality oil production. Pusa Bold exhibits low erucic acid content, a major breeding target for edible oil improvement. Used as a cultivar reference in molecular marker studies for erucic acid content determination.
Key facts
| Type | Released variety |
|---|---|
| Origin | New Delhi (IARI) |
| Breeder / source | Indian Agricultural Research Institute |
| Year released | 1984 |
| Parentage | Derivative of Varuna |
| Yield | Reported yield 20–25 q/ha; premium oil quality |
| Tolerance | Good tolerance to Alternaria blight; moderate susceptibility to white rust and mustard aphid in high-pressure regions |
| Distinctive features | Bold seeds, 39–42% oil content with reduced erucic acid; medium-late maturity (140–145 days); improved oil quality for food applications |
| Grown in | Primarily in Indo-Gangetic Plain: Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and eastern Rajasthan |
| Also known as | PB-1 |
Figures are indicative, compiled from public agricultural sources (ICAR institutes, State Agricultural Universities, the Spices Board and the National Innovation Foundation) and vary with soil, season and management. Confirm with your local package of practices.
Pusa Bold in detail
A bold-seeded Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) released by IARI in 1984, Pusa Bold is valued for its large seed size and oil yield. It has also served as a reference genotype in molecular studies of erucic acid biosynthesis.
Origin & story
Pusa Bold was released by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi in 1984, during India's period of intensive rapeseed-mustard breeding aimed at supporting domestic oil production. The name reflects its distinctive bold (large) seeds, the trait that became the variety's signature.
How it grows
Pusa Bold matures in roughly 110-115 days, making it suited to timely-sown, irrigated cultivation in northern India. For irrigated conditions it is typically sown from mid-October to late October. Average seed yield is reported at around 15 quintals per hectare under good management, with oil content around 40%. A commonly cited fertiliser dose for irrigated mustard is N-80, P2O5-40, K2O-40 kg/hectare.
Quality & character
Large, bold seeds are the defining trait, with oil content around 40%. Pusa Bold has been used as a reference genotype in molecular breeding research on fatty acid elongation: the FAE1 homologue was cloned from Pusa Bold to study erucic acid synthesis in Indian mustard.
Why it matters to buyers
For oil millers and extractors, Pusa Bold's roughly 40% oil yield and bold seed structure make it straightforward to process. Traditional users in northern India use the variety for domestic mustard oil and seed cake. Growers value its reliability under irrigated conditions and consistent maturity timing.
About mustard
Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) occupies over 90% of India's rapeseed-mustard acreage and has evolved through systematic breeding since the 1960s paired with farmer landraces across the rabi belt from Punjab to Madhya Pradesh. Below are 12 foundational varieties—both landmark releases from ICAR institutes and notable hybrids—that define Indian mustard…
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